MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER STADIUM IN TALKS FOR ST LOUIS

ST. LOUIS, MO: (STLRealEstate.News) An MLS soccer team may soon be calling St. Louis home. Talks for the construction of a multi-million dollar soccer stadium are underway for the Midwestern metropolis, and soccer fans in and around St. Louis are rejoicing. Plans for the 22,5000-seat stadium, which would likely cost between $135 million and $150 million, were unveiled this past week.

A group led by Dan Cordes, a retired Express Scripts executive, proudly flashed their soccer plans this past Tuesday for building a Major League Soccer stadium on a 13-acre site. The location, currently owned by Saint Louis University at the northwest corner of the Grand Boulevard and Chouteau Avenue intersection, would be perfect for an enormous and naturally lit stadium. The project, according to Cordes, would be mostly privately funded, though his group would seek public assistance through proposed tax increment financing. Foundry St. Louis and the University would split ownership over the property. The stadium would doubly function as home for SLU’s men’s and women’s soccer teams, a major league women’s soccer team, and other various community events.

Cordes stated that they plan to submit their comprehensive finalized plans to the MLS by early November, when the league’s owners are expected to congregate and discuss potential expansion plans for the industry. Recommendations will be laid out for which cities could be awarded MLS teams, and may be announced as soon as early December.

This Foundry plan indicates that St. Louis is likely to have two competing stadium proposals submitted to the MLS officials at the same time – the second proposal coming from the Peacock group. If either team is selected as the winner, they will be required to pay an expansion fee, which could come in as high as $100 million or $200 million.

Cordes stadium designs submitted were designed and completed by Cannon Design.